Oceanus Engine Company Fire Room

History is filled with the names of famous American firefighters, Benjamin Franklin, established the first fire department. Allan Brunacini, Fire Chief of the Phoenix Fire Department, and first active fire service member to hold the position of chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA). Red Adair, international oil well firefighter known for fighting over 1000 oil well fires. These names, though impressive fall short of others in fire protection that should be mentioned. Molly Williams, part of the Oceanus Engine Company firehouse in 1815 was the first African American woman firefighter. Toni McIntosh of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The first career African American female firefighter, and the

In one of the articles he wrote “In the first Place, as an Ounce of Prevention is worth a Pound of Cure, I would advise ‘em to take care how they suffer living Brands-ends, or Coals in a full Shovel, to be carried out of one Room into another, or up or down Stairs, unless in a Warming pan shut; for Scraps of Fire may fall into Chinks, and make no Appearance till Midnight; when your Stairs being in Flames, you may be forced, (as I once was) to leap out of your Windows, and hazard your Necks to avoid being over-roasted” (Franklin B. 1735). This article along with several others led to the creation of the first fire department established in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Less than 100 years later in 1818, the same city of Philadelphia, a group of African Americans wanted to join the noble profession of firefighting naming the group the African Fire Association. However, they were not allowed as it was protested by white firefighters citing the reason that establishing a fire department by people of color could result in serious injury and safety in times of fire. Even still African American or blacks as the term is coined today have tried in other locales to establish their own fire

The training regimen of the firefighters was stricter than that of their white counter parts as white fire recruits upon appointment would report directly to the firehouse for assignment and training, but Negro firefighters would have to report to a Drill Master to be trained in all aspects prior to reporting to a fire house. The average time for Negroes to be trained was two months; which was twice that of white firefighters. The firefighters were segregated into two different sections of the firehouse one side for the white officers and engineers and the other for the Black firefighters, this was due to the fact that the Black firefighters had to clean the fire equipment after a fire and sometimes for the white companies while at the scene of a fire (Levine, et al). During the late 1800’s many states saw the creation of Negro firehouses. In New Bedford, Massachusetts, San Antonio Texas, Columbia South Carolina, Omaha Nebraska, and other states saw the creation of all black fire